


As Equals

by LadyCorvidae, roseforthethorns



Series: Don't Stand So Close to Me [7]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Dinner, Established Relationship, Fighting, M/M, Make up sex, Memories, Reconciliation, Rough Sex, hickey, mormor, reference to brak up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-10
Updated: 2012-09-10
Packaged: 2017-11-13 23:06:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/508700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyCorvidae/pseuds/LadyCorvidae, https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseforthethorns/pseuds/roseforthethorns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim's bringing Sebby back to his flat after their flower shop reunion.</p><p>(I own nothing of these characters. All Sherlock rights go to the BBC, Moffat, and Gatiss. I'm just having some fun.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Equals

Jim glanced out of the window as the car pulled up outside his building. He'd been sneaking looks at Sebastian the entire ride, trying desperately to ignore his ex-boyfriend's scent as it filled the enclosed space, to ignore just how much he'd grown and, quite frankly, gotten hotter after twelve years. No, he was not thinking in the slightest of how he had tasted exactly the same when they'd kissed... and how much part of him wanted to do that again; the rest of him still wanted to scream and yell and hit and threaten and hurt for all of the agony and isolation he'd suffered as a direct result of their break up.

Seb looked out the window of the car as it crawled its way through the streets of London. Every so often, he caught Jim looking at him. He was doing his best to staunchly ignore his ex... no matter how good he looked after all the time they spent apart, no matter how good he tasted after not kissing him for nearly twelve years, no matter just how _right_ it felt to be pressed against him. He was still cold towards the younger man; some wounds, after all, took time to heal, especially wounds of the heart.

The car pulled to a stop in front of a very swank looking building; the lobby had marble floors and columns, gentle classical music wafting through the speakers in the elevator as Jim pressed the 'P' button. A very awkward, long elevator ride later, and Jim was unlocking the door to the penthouse flat. Seb stepped through and his jaw dropped; no matter how much they had both changed during their time apart, Jim still had a taste for opulence. The apartment was huge and lavishly furnished, sleek couches and chairs in the living room, Persian rugs on the hardwood floor, a fireplace and a state-of-the-art kitchen. And that was just in the open areas; he saw at least two distinct hallways leading off of them.

"I take it you like the flat, Sebastian?"

Seb nodded mutely. "You haven't lost your taste for expensive things," he said as he walked in further, looking around.

"What can I say? I rather like to live in luxury. Shall I give you the tour?"

"By all means."

Swallowing slightly, Jim set off, gesturing as he went. "Kitchen, fully loaded, you can cook pretty much anything in there, full alcohol cabinet as well, state of the art. My office, off limits to essentially everyone but myself. If you break in, you won't die. Well, not immediately. Weapons storage, training room, den with flat screen, popcorn machine and every DVD you can imagine. Even have a few gaming systems. Then, back down this way, the bedrooms. I have several, don't quite know why, several showers, and my room is all the way at the end of the corridor in the center. We can... we can set you up with one of these rooms here. If you want. Well, that would be up to both of us, wouldn't it?"

Seb cocked his head to the side, regarding Jim with his piercing blue eyes. "Yes, it would."

"It, yes, well, are you hungry? I'm famished." The consulting criminal sidled past the larger blonde and made as though to head back to the kitchen.

The larger man had to stifle a chuckle. Jim was acting, well, _nervous_ almost, like he was back in Uni again and they were flirting. He followed, silent as a shadow. "D'you want me to make something? I recall you having a fondness for steak," he said as he leaned against the wall.

"I was thinking of ordering a Chinese. Really famished. And was going to pour myself a drink. Can I, well, get you anything?"

"My choice of poison really hasn't changed that much over the years, Jimmy. Scotch."

Deliberately ignoring the small flip his stomach did at the nickname, Jim slipped into the closet and brought out a twenty-five year old Glendronach and two glasses from the cupboard. Seb's eyebrows went up. Jim had just pulled out the Holy Grail of Scotch. He graciously waited for him to pour it and drink first before he took a sip of the liquor, feeling it burn down his throat. He moaned. It really _was_ the best... at least Jim's ridiculously high standards hadn't changed. Of course, now he'd spoiled him to the cheap stuff that he usually got.

"Very glad you like it. I'm rather partial to it myself, though really not as much as a few of the Reds I have in there," the younger man said with a hint of a smirk, downing the rest of his.

"I bet," Seb said, a bit hoarse from the liquor.

Clearing his throat, Jim said "I really should get the thermostat fixed. I'll have to lock up the electrician again. He's such a pain."

"Why? Feels just fine to me," Seb replied, a mischievous gleam coming to his eyes.

"Don't give me that."

"Give you what? I think the temperature is tolerable... no need to lock away your hapless electrician just because you have hot flashes." Well, more like a continual slow burn. Good _God_ , Jim had aged spectacularly... it was taking quite a bit of Seb's self control to not snog his ex-lover senseless, but he just had to remember that he had been twelve years without him, and he could last a little longer.

"I meant that idiotic smirk on your face. The one that makes you look like you're trying to be intelligent."

Well. There went his previous charitable feelings. "Which of the rooms is to be mine?" he said, the mood gone. "I want to settle my stuff in."

"Oh, so you've decided to stay?"

"What, like you were going to give me the option?"

"If you must know, yes."

"Fine. Then I'm going to go back home. If your tour is quite done with," Seb said, starting to head towards the door.

Jim could feel the panic start to well up in his stomach as Sebastian turned to go. _Don't go. Don't leave me again. I can't lose you again._ "Wait!"

Seb's breath caught in his throat: the one thing he wanted Jim to say the most. He half-turned. "What?"

The consulting criminal hated this, the way it made him feel, having to swallow his pride. "I-I... won't you at least stay for dinner?" _Fuck, why was this so HARD_?

Sebastian turned back to face him. "All right. I'll stay for dinner."

"Excellent. I was just going to order the whole menu. What do you want?"

"Dim sum, and an eggroll."

"Not very hungry tonight, are you?" Jim pulled out a takeaway menu from one of the drawers.

"I don't like eating much in new places. Makes me sluggish, which makes me nervous."

"Ah. All right, let me just phone it in." Jim pulled out his mobile and wandered over to one corner of the kitchen, talking quietly. When he hung up and turned around, he nearly jumped; he hadn't heard Sebastian approach.

"You haven't changed much, you know," Seb said quietly, scrutinizing the smaller man in front of him.

"What makes you say that?" The blonde's smell was almost overwhelming now, making it difficult for him to think clearly.

"Still the genius rich kid intent on getting his way. Although that was one of the things I liked about you."

 _Oh Sebby, I missed you so much_. "What else did you like... if we're going to get to know each other again."

"Well. I liked your determination, you single-mindedness when you set your sights on something. The way you could figure things out at a glance. Your ruthlessness. And your taste in liquor," he said, chuckling slightly. "And what did you like about me?"

"Your determination as well, your looks, the way you would tell me things straight and not sugar coat or lie even if you knew I'd not take it kindly, how you never backed down, your possessiveness, your protective instincts." He added quietly, "And that you loved me when no one else did."

Seb let out a breath, short and sharp, like he had been punched in the gut. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again. Too soon to say what he wanted; the wounds to both their hearts still too raw.

Jim saw it and the words were out before he could stop them. "What? What were you going to say?"

Damn it all to hell. "I still love you, Jimmy. I never _stopped_ loving you," Seb said, his voice soft and slightly pained.

The younger man felt all the blood rush to his face. "Not possible. I'm not lovable anymore."

Seb scowled. "That is the biggest lie I've ever heard you tell, James Moriarty."

"No, It's the truth. I'm not lovable anymore and haven't been since you dumped me. I accepted that twelve years ago, Sebastian Moran, and I've been living with it ever since."

Seb let out a long sigh. "I already told you, I was young and stupid. I was also angry and stubborn; I wasn't going to take you back unless you came back to me. And you never did come back, Jimmy..."

"And as I'm sure I've said, I didn't come back because I thought you didn't want me anymore. You had convinced me of it. I say one stupid thing to one stupid cunt and you drop me?! Some loyalty."

"It wasn't stupid to me, Jim! You blatantly told me that upholding your image was more important than what we had. That hurt me, Jim, it hurt me bad."

"What was I supposed to say then, 'O great oracle of relationships?'"

"I don't know! Anything _but_ that!"

Jim felt his hands start to clench, fingernails digging into palms. "That I had an undying love for you? Like something out of a romance novel? That you meant more to me than my life? That I didn't think I could live without you? Well, guess what, I could. In the agony that was loneliness after you, I fucking LEARNED how to live alone. I LEARNED what it was to have my- my _heart_ , if I can even call it that anymore, ripped still beating from my chest and burned in front of my eyes. I've not felt _anything_ since then, nothing but glee for the pain I cause others and the destruction I leave in my wake. So, what should I have said? _You_ quit _me_ , dusted your hands of me. I let you go, I _gave_ you up. All because I truly thought you hated me more than I hate myself."

Seb took a half-step back, almost like Jim had physically struck him. Then he closed the distance between them and swept Jim into his arms, not caring that he was still supposed to be aloof, not caring that it had hurt him just as much.

"You stupid idiot. I _never_ hated you. Never, _ever_."

The consulting criminal was stunned, Sebastian's arms around him so warm and familiar and _comforting_ that they were almost physically painful. "'M not stupid," he muttered, trying to hang onto his sharp tongue, his defense that had kept him alive since Uni.

"Yes you are. So stupid to think that I ever hated you. Jim, in twelve years, I have been alone. Sure, I have my crew, but... I... I never took a lover. There was never anyone but you."

Jim's eyes widened in shock. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. _Twelve years_? You?" Then he added, realizing how that must have sounded and thinking about Sebastian for once, "Neither have I. I couldn't. After you... the thought of someone else getting that close... I couldn't do it. I feel so _weak_."

He clutched the smaller man tighter to him. "You are _so_ many things, my brilliant Magpie. Weak is _not_ one of them."

"Wh-what am I, then, if not weak? I wasn't strong enough to swallow my pride and apologize."

"And I wasn't strong enough to, either. To go and take you back. You're stubborn. We both are."

Jim wound his fingers into Seb's shirt, burying his face in the blonde's broad shoulder. " _I'm sorry_ ," he whispered, almost inaudible.

Seb stopped breathing for a moment. It was very, very faint, but he had heard. "I'm sorry too," he whispered back, clinging to the warmth of the man in his arms, taking in the scent that was expensive soap, ink, blood and _Jim_. After twelve years, they had both finally taken the steps that had been too big, too great, to terrifying as teenagers. Jim broke down into tears, twelve full years of completely repressed emotion released by the man he'd never stopped loving (and hating himself for it), soaking Seb's skin-tight black pullover with tears.

Seb rubbed Jim's back as he sobbed, sniffling back a few tears himself. "I'm here, Jim. I've got you."

He couldn't speak. For the first time in twelve years, Jim couldn't make the words come as he continued to cry. He felt conflicted, so incredibly weak, weaker than he had since before the break-up, but at the same time... _Sebastian_ was there. His Seb, _his_ Tiger... _his_ Tiger who had been celibate just because of him. The thought made him cry harder, anger welling up inside for such an obvious display of emotion. He wasn't worth this. It was why he did his job so well. He didn't matter, but as long as he was the only one who knew that, he could fool anyone and anything. No one ever got close... too great a chance to be hurt and be weak once more.

"I'm here, love. And I..." God, it was going to sound so _trite_ , so absolutely _stupid_ , but he meant it... "I'm not going to let go. I swear it."

 _Good_ , Jim thought, fighting tooth and nail to get back under control.

Moving away slightly, Seb cupped Jim's tearstained face in his hands, giving him a long, searching look. Then, again feeling silly, but not caring, he bent and kissed away his former lover's tears. "I still love you, Jimmy. I've _always_ loved you," he murmured.

The look on Jim's face was one of complete shock and surprise, his mouth agape. Slowly, he reached up and brushed a few errant curls away from Seb's forehead; they were every bit as soft as they had been in school. The younger man was suddenly flooded with memories from their Uni days... _chasing after Seb to get him to apologize for bumping into him in the corridor, their first kiss, their first time together, plotting to kill Molly, hunting, all of the fucking at his mansion, the mirrors, their last time together, their final snog before Anderson fucked everything up_...

Seb shut his eyes and leaned into Jim's touch, thinking about things twelve years gone by... _hiding in the closet while Jim was with Molly, him telling Jim about his mum's death, hunting together in the streets of London, gathering nightshade_... all the things he missed.

They started apart at the sound of the buzzer, the takeaway completely forgotten. "Uh... yes. Right. Won't be a minute."

Seb growled in frustration; food was the last thing on his mind right now, but he remembered with a smile the time they shared food underneath Jim's bed... _and_ what it had led to.

Slipping easily (albeit reluctantly, he realized) from Seb's grip, Jim buzzed the delivery boy up to the flat, paying him a handsome tip to get out immediately before locking the door. "Dinner's served... Tiger."

He started to hear his old nickname; only Jim had called him that, never anyone else. "Be there in a sec... Magpie."

Heart clenching, Jim laid out the food on the island in the middle of the kitchen, pouring them each a double-shot of the Scotch to go with dinner.

Seb sat and took the glass, staring into the amber-colored liquor before clearing his throat and raising it in a toast. "To reconciliation," he said quietly.

Jim raised an eyebrow but kept his thoughts to himself. "To reconciliation and reunion," he added, downing his glass in one gulp. Seb followed suit and downed his glass as well. He set it down with a thud and dug into his food, eating the dumplings with great gusto.

"Glad to see that Tiger's hungry," Jim said softly, slowly eating his customary beef with broccoli. Quick as a flash, he stole one of Seb's dumplings, holding it out of reach

Seb growled, but took a bit of Jim's beef with broccoli in retaliation.

Tilting his head to one side, Jim held out his fork with the food still skewered to the end, offering it to  the older man. Seb smirked and leaned in, taking the food delicately in his teeth and sliding it off the fork. He did the same to Jim, offering the food at the end of his chopsticks, holding a hand under it so the sauce wouldn't drip.

The pale man returned the smile and ate gratefully, lapping up the few drips from Seb's palm with his tongue. "Thank you, Tiger," he murmured.

The larger man shuddered as he felt Jim's hot tongue on the palm of his hand. He forced back a groan and continued eating, despite his growing arousal.

"So, tell me about your organization. I have to say, I'm very impressed at your ability to keep information from me. I couldn't even get a description of you in my research."

"Very underground. We take cash only, payable in small sums. Everything is in code; we have our ad in the paper under 'weed killer' actually," he said, grinning. _That_ had taken some thinking.

The corner of Jim's lip twitched. "A rather organic and floral based code as I could see from your shop. I thought you hated flowers."

"Well, sometimes you have to make sacrifices to do your work."

"But from what you told me, I never would have imagined you'd go for something that was so painful, Tiger. Even you aren't that big a masochist."

Seb took a deep breath and let it out. "Telling you must have helped. It didn't hurt as much. It still hurts, but... not the 'rip-your-guts-out' kind of hurt."

"Oh." Jim went back to his food, ironically the same thing he'd eaten the day they'd had that conversation. "I want you to stay," he said quietly.

Seb swallowed. "And I want to stay."

"I can have my men bring everything in your flat over tonight."

"Good."

He whipped out his mobile and sent off a quick text: _Sebastian Moran's flat: empty, pack, and bring. Disturb me only if you want your families dead. Text me when complete._

Seb smirked as he saw the man whip out his mobile and start texting. "Still get your way, don't you?" he said.

"All day, every day."

"I just _bet_."

Sending it, Jim looked up at the brazen blue eyes. "And just _what_ is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just saying that that hasn't changed."

"Oh. And here I thought you were coming on to me," he murmured, digging eagerly back into his meal now that he knew Seb would stay.

Seb leaned in and purred into Jim's ear. "And who says I wasn't?"

The man audibly swallowed. "Such a dirty little kitty, aren't you?"

Seb rumbled a growl and nipped the younger man's earlobe. "You know that better than anyone."

Jim's sex-starved body let out a treacherous groan. "I do, don't I. But now, now, Tiger. I _am_ still eating."

Seb stole another bite of Jim's food and held it between his lips. His eyes held a challenge as sauce dribbled down his chin and neck; if you want it, come _get_ it.

Unable to resist any longer, Jim seized Seb's shoulders as his lips went to work, sucking, mouthing, and lapping at the sauce on his skin, groaning at the taste before working up to tease the older man's lips, licking around the food before taking a bite and bringing their lips fully together.

Seb felt the room heat up by at least thirty degrees as Jim's mouth found his skin. He groaned in concert with Jim as he felt his tongue drag against the flesh of his neck. The blonde released the food and let Jim chew and swallow before he crushed Jim's mouth to his again, taking what he so sorely needed after twelve years of denying himself.

If they had been a fiery couple before, it was nothing compared to how things were now. Jim found himself in Seb's lap without even trying, snogging him as if Seb were pure oxygen, barely even stopping for breath and gladly opening his lips to Sebastian's questing tongue

He fisted his hand into Jim's hair, dragging it back so he could move his mouth along the column of his throat. He gently nipped at the skin there, rumbling a pleased growl as he felt his lover's pulse jump up.

" _Sebby_ ," the pale man whimpered, leaning happily into the touch of Seb's hand. " _More_."

Seb happily complied, moving his free hand down the front of Jim's shirt, undoing the buttons so that his pale torso was exposed to the air. He slipped one hand in and laid it over his heart, feeling the beat thunder. He gently stroked and tweaked Jim's nipple, just to see what reaction the other man would have: Jim squeaked, whimpering loudly as Sebastian teased him; his head fell back and his breathing came a little quicker.

He moved his lips down, across Jim's collarbones to the flat planes of his chest, gently dragging his teeth across the skin.

"N-not here..." Reluctantly, Jim pulled Seb's mouth away from his skin, inhaling sharply when his former lover fixed him with an almost jet black stare. "Take me to... to bed."

"To bed, then," Seb said, his voice husky. He lifted Jim up, not bothering with setting him down on his feet, carrying him to the last room at the end of the hallway, kicking the door open.

"Y'know, I _can_ walk-" Jim started to say as Seb slammed the door shut behind them.

"Would take too much time. More efficient," Seb said, nearly tossing Jim down on the bed before taking the hem of his tight black shirt and pulling it over his head.

The consulting criminal followed suit, divesting himself of shirt and jacket (keeping his tie on) and kicking off his shoes. He forgot to breathe as he saw Seb's chest, the muscles even more defined than they had been before. "Oh _Sebastian_..."

Seb smirked as he saw Jim staring; he knew he cut an impressive figure. He undid the button and zip of his trousers, then hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans, allowing them to ride low and expose his pants and the trail of hair that led to his groin. "Like something you see?" he teased.

Jim's fingers twitched, aching to touch. "You're still gorgeous, Tiger," he murmured, slipping out of his own trousers.

"As are you," he murmured in reply, looking at the pale skin that Jim exposed, along with the tent in his pants. He shucked off the rest of his clothing as well, standing bare before the man he loved most. Taking a deep breath, Jim slid the last fabric barrier from his body and stared up at Seb, their differences more pronounced than ever.

He walked over to Jim, one slow, predatory step at a time, before crushing the other man's naked body to him, relishing the skin-to-skin contact. He kissed him fiercely, wildly, with twelve years of pent-up longing.

Jim could barely keep up, his own desires burning through him as Sebastian bloody well took what he wanted. It seemed that kissing was something he was still good at, even after twelve years of disuse, and Seb tasted almost the same, felt the same, smelled the same... he wanted to smell like that forever, remembering with a pang of longing when he'd showered with Seb's soap. "Tiger... Tiger."

"My mastermind, my Magpie..." Seb said, his voice dark with longing. "Oh, how I _missed_ you..."

No... Tiger... need to say something."

Seb pulled away, slight confusion in his eyes, reigning himself in long enough for Jim to speak.

Jim felt his face flushing in addition to the pang of guilt from the expression on Seb's face. "I'm clean, lube is in the side drawer, and..." he trailed off, holding up his tie. "I've... you've only ever been the one I allowed control over me. So, here is the control again. I... I hope that helps make up for my mistake."

Seb took a deep breath before he removed the tie. "No control, my love. We're _equals_ now, remember?" he murmured, kissing the skin that he bared. "Although, if you still want me to top... I won't say no to that," he said before gently squeezing Jim's arse.

"Cheeky bugger," Jim muttered, secretly relieved that Seb was still there and hadn't left. "Right. Equals. And, I suppose... it has been twelve years... I'm sure I'm even tighter than I used to be without you to stretch and pound me."

Seb groaned and bucked his hips involuntarily. "Get on the bed... I don't think I can wait any longer," he said, his eyes wild.

Smirking, Jim did as he was told, sprawling his limbs and giving Seb the full view of his body. Seb retrieved the lube and then shuddered as he saw the glorious spectacle that was a naked and sprawled Jim Moriarty. He slicked himself up, one hand moving slowly over his length, devouring Jim with his eyes. He took a finger and, kissing Jim deeply, gently worked it inside of his lover.

Jim twisted and squirmed at first but soon remembered how it went, rocking down onto the finger inside him as Seb corkscrewed their tongues together. He suckled on Jim's tongue before slowly adding another finger, curling them inside of him and rutting his length against Jim's leg. The consulting criminal smirked slightly, nipping at Seb's lips and reaching down to stroke his lover, squeezing and toying with the hot flesh in his hand.

Seb bucked and shuddered, letting out a deep groan. "J- _Jimmy_... you gotta stop or this will end far too early," he said.

"If you insist, my ferocious Tiger," Jim purred, releasing the blonde's cock and lifting his fingers to his lips, licking off the precum he'd gathered from the head.

"Oh _yes_ , I _insist_ ," Seb said. He slid his fingers out of Jim and replaced them with the head of his cock, sinking in slowly to allow Jim time to adjust to his length and girth. The younger man went completely boneless, relaxing his entire body in order to accept Sebastian even though it did hurt a bit; the Tiger was _far_ bigger than he'd remembered.

The larger man's eyes nearly rolled back in his head. "Jesus _Christ_ , Jimmy... you're so tight," he moaned as he began to slowly move his hips.

"T-told you," he gasped, body nearly overloaded with sensation. "Ohgod... _Sebby_."

Seb purred and leaned down, sucking and biting at Jim's neck (below the collar line of his shirts; he still remembered that) as he worked in and out of the other man, his hands digging into Jim's hips.

"Visible this time," Jim murmured into Seb's ear, tongue tracing the shell of it as he rolled up into the blonde's rhythm.

"You-mean-it? 'Bove-the-collar?" he panted as he moved.

" _Yes_."

Seb _growled_ , moving his mouth up higher. He bit and sucked at Jim's skin unmercifully, knowing that the mark he left was going to be dark and would last for a long, long time. He had, after all, twelve years to make up for. Jim cried out in pain and pleasure, purring and keening as he scrabbled for purchase on Seb's back. The mark should prove to the man that Jim cared, that their relationship meant more than his reputation... that he still loved Sebastian more than his own life.

Seb continued to rock slowly against Jim, but soon nature won out. He began snapping his hips faster and faster, moving one hand between them to stroke Jim's full and aching cock.

"YES!" the consulting criminal screamed, the length pumping in and out of him hitting his prostate, filling him, bringing them closer together. He linked his ankles around the other man and helped drive him home. "M-make me... do it, Sebby... scream your name..."

" _Gladly_." Seb moved faster and harder, stroked more roughly. He bent his head and took one of Jim's nipples into his mouth, biting on it gently, swirling his tongue around it. He could feel the tip of him hitting Jim's prostate with every thrust and he purred into his lover's skin, relishing the way he tasted, still the same after so long apart.

It was just like shattering into a million pieces, Jim's screams of "SEBASTIAN", "TIGER", and "I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU" echoing around the room even after he'd gone completely limp; his body ached as it hadn't in a very long time, this orgasm far more satisfying than any with his hand.

Seb went over the edge as Jim cried out in pleasure, the feeling of the tight hole contracting tighter around him enough to break him. He snarled as he spilled himself into Jim, growling "Magpie!", "Jim!", "Love you... more than _anything_..."

Jim clung feebly to Seb's body as he came down from his high. "Love you... so much..." he murmured; it was as if they'd never been apart.

Slowly withdrawing from Jim, he cradled him in his arms, their sweat drying on their skin. "Just as I love you..." he said back, just as quietly. He placed small, soft kisses along Jim's skin, not wanting to let him go.

"Don't leave again. I don't want you to. I hated you for so long because I still loved you, but now... Sebby, _my_ Sebby."

"Not going anywhere. You were gone for twelve years and I hated myself _so much_ for doing that to you... to the both of us. My Jimmy, my Magpie, my Mastermind. Not leaving, not ever again."

"Stuck with me, you are. Me and my 'big scary brain' as you once called it."

"And you're stuck with me, and my 'big dumb muscle'," he said, smiling a bit.

"You're smart, Tiger. Smart enough to run your own business. You've impressed me. And that's hard to do."

"Well that's good... and one thing still hasn't changed about you," he said, smirking as he drew the covers over them both as the room grew cooler, now that the flames of their passion were spent.

"And what might that be?" Jim asked, curling up against Seb's chest to listen to his heartbeat.

"You still talk too much," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around him, holding him close as he fell asleep, content for the first time in twelve years.


End file.
